Pa’ Ella… y Para Usted También

My Dad sent me a picture of a shirt with this phrase on it during finals week this past Spring—I was stressed, hadn’t been home in a few months, and was missing Miami culture. Whenever I am home, the one meal I always yearn for my Dad to make me is Paella, so of course, this picture last semester put a smile on my stressed face.

We got to Spain, the true home of paella, on Thursday. The first night we were in Barcelona we visited the ”magic fountains” of Monjüic. The fountains are in front of the National Palace in Barcelona and are lit up for a 30 minute light-show every Thursday-Sunday at 9pm. It was spectacular to see the colorful fountain display, but for me the real “magic” of Barcelona is in the culture. And one of the ways to experience this culture is through its food.

the magic fountains of Montjüic

As we wandered down the Ramblas we came across El Mercat de La Boqueria “St Josep”—it was culinary heaven. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love wandering through markets and local stands. This was everything I could have wanted from a market: fresh fruit (the good type—tropical fruit that I crave when I’m up north) and veggies, pastries, freshly caught fish, tapas, and more chorizo and legs of jamón ibérico than I could ever dream. If I were studying in Barcelona, I guarantee that I would come to La Boqueria nearly daily.

the entrance to culinary heaven

lines of fresh fish and crustaceans 

Mom and Dad at St. Josep's

Arena Pan!!! it's almost like I'm home...

Rabbit for sale at the market 

fruit and veggies!

Heart shaped sausages!

a leg of ham...in case you can't read that label, that says €169/kg

We went out for tapas three out of four nights we were in Barcelona. It was so much fun ordering various tapas throughout our visit and trying out all of the local dishes as we walked around. Throughout our trip we ordered tapas including ham and mushroom croquettas, calamari, tostada con jamón, tortilla, bombas (spicy meatballs smothered with cheese and sauce), sardines on tostadas, chorizo and manchego cheese platters, figs with goat cheese, and many more that I am probably forgetting. Even for normal meals, I really enjoying eating small amounts of lots of different things, or sharing two meals with someone else, that way I can taste multiple dishes, so tapas are perfect!

The first day that we got to the city we ate a quick snack at ‘Quatre Gats,’ a restaurant that Pablo Picasso used to frequent regularly during his teen years. In fact, his first private exhibition of his work was here. The food was good, albeit a bit overpriced, but it was definitely worth the visit to this surrealist haven.

Dad at 4 Gats

Our second night in Barcelona we went to a small local restaurant just behind La Boqueria that served local Catalan dishes and tapas from fish they caught that morning. My Dad ordered their paella marisco and I got the arroz negro (rice colored black with squid ink and mixed with fresh squid, shrimp, clams and mussels). Both dishes were amazing, fresh and full of flavor. I’ve always loved Spanish food and these past few days have validated this opinion.

Daddy and I drinking sangria

Mommy and her tapas

Daddy and I with arroz negro and paella